Satellite Left Stranded by SpaceX Rocket Falls From Space

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PARIS — Satellite messaging service provider Orbcomm on Oct. 11
said its prototype second-generation satellite, launched Oct. 7
into a bad orbit by a Space Exploration Technologies Corp.
(SpaceX) Falcon 9 rocket, had fallen out of orbit but had
provided enough data to proceed with the launch of the full
constellation starting next year.

Fort Lee, N.J.-based Orbcomm, which plans to launch all 18
second-generation satellites aboard two SpaceX
Falcon 9 rockets, said it would be filing an insurance claim
of $10 million to cover the loss of the satellite and the cost of
the launch and the insurance policy.

In its statement, Orbcomm suggested that its satellite prime
contractor,
Sierra Nevada Corp. of Sparks, Nev., had enough access to the
satellite in less than four days in orbit to validate the
performance of its major subsystems.

If Orbcomm’s insurance underwriters accept this, then Orbcomm
will not need to launch another prototype, but will be able to
proceed with the launch of two groups of second-generation
spacecraft on two Falcon 9 rockets. [ SpaceX
to Space Station: Complete Coverage ]

Orbcomm said that, had its satellite been the primary payload on
SpaceX’s Oct. 7 flight, the mission would have been a
success. The main mission for the Falcon 9 was the delivery into
orbit of the SpaceX Dragon space station cargo vehicle, which was
berthed to the station on Oct. 10.

SpaceX and NASA, which is SpaceX’s customer for the space
station resupply missions, hailed the launch as a success, saying
the Falcon 9 rocket’s flexibility was demonstrated by the fact
that one of its nine Merlin first-stage engines shut down early
in the flight.

It was that engine shutdown that forced SpaceX not to proceed
with a reignition of the Falcon 9 engines later in the flight out
of respect for NASA space station safety guidelines. With no
reignition, the Falcon 9 left Orbcomm’s
OG2 satellite in a too-low orbit.

“Notwithstanding the shortened life of the OG2 prototype, the OG2
program engineering teams … made significant strides in testing
various hardware components,” Orbcomm said. “The solar array and
communications antenna deployments were successful. … The OG2
satellite bus systems including power, attitude control, thermal
and data handling were also tested to verify proper operation.

“With this verification data, Orbcomm can focus on completing and
launching the OG2 as the primary mission payloads on two planned
Falcon 9 launches, the first in mid-2013 and the second in 2014,
directly into their operational orbit.”

In an Oct. 8 statement describing the first-stage engine
shutdown, SpaceX sought to highlight the Falcon 9 rocket’s
robustness given that it delivered the
Dragon capsule to the required orbit. Neither Orbcomm nor the
OG2 satellite was mentioned in the SpaceX statement.

"The goal of this mission was to transport cargo to the
International Space Station for NASA," the statement said.
"Orbcomm requested that SpaceX carry one of their small
satellites (weighing a few hundred pounds, vs. Dragon at over
12,000 pounds) on this flight so that they could gather test data
before we launch their full constellation next year.

"The higher the orbit, the more test data they can gather, so
they requested that we attempt to restart and raise altitude.
NASA agreed to allow that, but only on condition that there be
substantial propellant reserves, since the orbit would be close
to the space station.

"It is important to appreciate that Orbcomm understood from the
beginning that the orbit-raising maneuver was tentative. They
accepted that there was a high risk of their satellite remaining
at the Dragon insertion orbit. SpaceX would not have agreed to
fly their satellite otherwise, since this was not part of the
core mission and there was a known, material risk of no altitude
raise."

This story was provided by Space News, dedicated to
covering all aspects of the space industry.